Meet Nick Percoco: A Cybersecurity Expert on Cryptocurrency Hacks and Breaches

Hello and welcome to my blog! I’m Nick Percoco, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Kraken, one of the leading global platforms for trading digital assets. With a robust background in cybersecurity spanning over 25 years, I have had the privilege of contributing to multiple facets of technology, security, and investigative practices.

Prior to my role at Kraken, I served as the CSO for Uptake, an industrial AI firm, and held the position of Vice President of Global Services at Rapid7, a comprehensive cybersecurity services provider. My career has been marked by opportunities to share my knowledge on critical topics such as security breaches, malware, and emerging trends in information security at renowned conferences like Black Hat, DEF CON, and OWASP. I’ve also delivered insights to esteemed organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US-CERT, Interpol, and the United States Secret Service.

My journey into technology began at an early age; I learned to code at just seven years old on a Timex Sinclair 1000. As I grew, my passion for technology led me to explore the early days of computer bulletin board systems (BBS) in the late ’80s and early ’90s through a Commodore 64 and later, an Intel 386 PC running Linux.

Having been immersed in the Chicago hacker scene for decades, I founded and organized THOTCON, a hacker conference that recently celebrated its 12th iteration in 2023. My expertise has also allowed me to investigate some of the most significant data breaches of our time. In my current role at Kraken, I have spent the last four years developing robust security programs to safeguard our cryptocurrency exchange from potential attacks.

I invite you to engage with me here! Feel free to ask questions regarding my experiences, insights into the cybersecurity landscape, or anything else you may find intriguing. Let’s share knowledge and foster a deeper understanding of the vital intersection between cryptocurrency and cybersecurity.

I look forward to your questions and contributing to our collective learning experience!